To Lisa Kendrick and our LAUSD SPED Partners:

We, the parents of Our Community School, write to share some of the resulting challenges we have had since switching to Option 1. We request your support in helping us uphold and maintain our vision of an inclusive learning community that supports all students. We are hoping for your collaboration in fulfilling the needs of our special education students so that they can achieve FAPE.

Since the founding of Our Community School (OCS) in 2005, special education students have been an essential part of our diverse and caring community. As parents of both students with and without IEPs, we value our full-inclusion program for the maturity, empathy, and sense of respect that it instills in all our students. We see evidence of this in our classrooms, on our playground, in our school assemblies, in student friendships, within the community, and throughout their everyday lives. Our staff has worked collaboratively with DIS services seamlessly incorporated into classrooms whenever possible. This cross-collaboration offers support not only to students with mandated services but also to the OCS teachers, with opportunities for all disciplines supporting and learning from each other united in the same goal: supporting all learners.

The stakeholders of OCS approached the transition from Option 3 to Option 1 with optimism and ongoing dedication to collaboration with the District. Above all, we remained committed to preserving the inclusive environment that benefits all students at our learning site, regardless of their level of support. However, the reality of this transition to Option 1 is that we have lost some of the critical support structures that not only made our inclusion program a sought-after environment but also made it possible.

Given the relatively high percentage of IEP students that our school serves, we are requesting your support and collaboration for the success of our students. Our school urgently needs the following resources:

• BIIs
• Resource teachers
• Occupational Therapists

Without BIIs since the start of school, we have watched the dynamic of our students change, and the beautiful harmony has eroded without these key supports in place. We are very grateful for the Non-Public Agency BIIs that have been arriving and are eagerly awaiting the rest to be assigned.

• We request support for those students who have toileting needs.
  • We request a 1:1 for those students who it's appropriate for.
• We would like to advocate for placing some LAUSD BIIs when available to start building the culture of collaboration that we know so greatly benefits our learners in our inclusion program.

In the past, the resource teachers were an integral part of the school’s success. They worked collaboratively with OCS teachers to understand the needs of students with IEPs and their specific accommodations within the classroom. Currently, the teachers are unable to keep up with the number of students with IEPs who need curriculum support or to review and amend IEP goals and placements. We are deeply concerned about the progress of every student, both with and without IEPs, as the academic year becomes more challenging. Without the necessary supports and accommodations, we fear that all students will fall behind and struggle to keep up with their education.

We acknowledge the previous efforts to place Occupational Therapists that unfortunately fell through. We are hoping this is resolved quickly. Occupational therapy goals are vital for many of our students; they are fundamental to helping them be present, engaged, and successful in the classroom. Without these supports, both populations could face significant barriers to their educational progress. Lastly, we know there are other services that will be needed within our school as the year goes on, but these are the most pressing.

As parents, we are very concerned about the burnout affecting our teachers, instructional aides, administrators, and parent volunteers due to the challenges at the start of this year. The shortage of staff has significantly increased stress for everyone, and we recognize that students are feeling the impact despite everyone's best efforts. This situation is not sustainable. The once harmonious environment has yet to return to the exceptional learning space we cherish. However, we remain optimistic and hopeful that, together, we can restore it.

Thank you for the providers you assigned to OCS so far; they have been wonderful, and we are so grateful for them. With your continued support and advocacy for adequate staffing, we hope to return to our high-quality program and, above all, provide all learners with the essential services they need to maximize their growth and development.

In gratitude,

The parents of OCS